


Swandust

by ideallyqualia



Series: Rare Pairs [62]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bakery, Flirting, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-21
Updated: 2016-05-21
Packaged: 2018-06-09 18:50:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6918985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ideallyqualia/pseuds/ideallyqualia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Straightforward, undeniable, <i>biased</i> affection for his favorite customer — Tendou has a patented way of handling one specific crush.</p><p>Shirabu keeps coming back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Swandust

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally supposed to be for shirabu's birthday. 
> 
> Inspired by [this](https://twitter.com/kzkr_hk/status/723221253364965376) art of tendou cooking something for shirabu. The art has okonomiyaki, and I didn’t think that fits this au, but I love the image of tendou cooking for shirabu.

Multiple problems afflicted Tendou. Messes landed low on the list, but the remarkable supply of flour he went through in a day, covering his clothes and scattering on the tabletop and over the baking sheet, amounted to _some_ kind of problem.

Tendou set aside a baking pan filled with cake batter. Several other pans and sheets were ready to be moved to the oven, but Tendou left them for later.

Semi stopped at the doorway and drew his eyes over the counter. “Tendou, that should go last,” Semi said.

“There’s enough time to finish everything."

Semi strode over to remove the pan from Tendou’s hands. “You’ve used up so much flour making separate cakes and breads. Stop going overboard."

“But it’s so boring making the same things over and over.” Tendou pointed at the pan. The others were in plain circle and square shapes, but this one was in the shape of a heart.

Semi placed it on the counter with a sigh. “Some of these aren’t that appealing to people. Stop making them. Nobody wanted your fish shaped cookies yesterday."

“Kenjirou-kun likes fish."

“He didn’t want them either."

“Maybe he’ll buy this cake today."

“He just came yesterday. I don’t think he’d buy more.” Semi pointed at another pan. “Finish the others."

“I’m not hurrying.” Tendou carried on opening the oven and crouched to add a cake. He stepped back.

The morning sun shining through the open window outfitted the first finished batch of cookies in a crisp light. Tendou had already spent part of the early morning preparing a few goods for the day, including decorating them with frosting flourishes and sprinkles. Semi's desserts stood on a different counter, cookies and mochi sitting on trays while cake and a few breads baked in the oven.

Tendou moved some to the display cases outside the kitchen and stepped back to gauge them. The glare was never an annoyance, but Tendou hated the way some of their pastries looked at different angles. He spent a few minutes rearranging them into different levels and moving price signs with them.

Their dessert shop stood nestled between a few shops in a mildly crowded neighborhood, a street of stores and restaurants that were all privately owned, free from big chains and in their own liberty to change menus every day. They were popular enough that Tendou could get away with making a few indulgent treats on the side, but lately, everyone noticed the recurring trend in Tendou's choices: stars, hearts, red colors, flowers, strawberries, extra flour dusted on mochi. He didn't make them for _himself_ , he didn't eat them; he wanted to make his own decisions in what he made sometimes, but that didn't mean it wasn't indulgent.

Semi stopped beside him to add another tray of bread. "You're not even being subtle," he said as he glanced at the plate of heart shaped cake on top of the display case. The daily desserts were kept there, goods that had inconsistent appearances in the shop and were made for the day on a whim. Tendou baked for it every day.

"I'm just making what I want to make, Eita," Tendou said without looking. He closed the display case and leaned on the counter, his head tilting to Semi. "Don't tell me. Hearts and flowers make you uncomfortable?"

"No," Semi muttered.

"Roses? Would you _refuse_ roses if someone sent you some?"

"Tendou."

"What if someone wanted to feed you a strawberry? Give you an anonymous love letter?"

Semi swatted at him and pushed him away. "You're _disgusting_ when you're romantic."

Tendou tilted with a smile before he stepped away to open the door for the day and flip over the "open" sign. The morning rush didn't start right away, but it was the main time of day everyone wanted doughnuts and other certain goods, and they needed to open early.

Kawanishi appeared from the back room and sidled to the cashier counter. "What did Tendou make today?" he asked in a sleepy mumble. He rubbed at his eyes and wiped over the screen with his sleeve.

"A cake," Semi answered. He took a chair behind the display case and crossed his arms in the seat.

"Heart with chocolate?"

"Vanilla."

"I don't see a difference."

Tendou's head swiveled. "Taichi, you work at a _dessert shop_."

"You're missing our point." Kawanishi stretched his arms behind his head. "Your customer is either missing it too, or he's just as bad."

"His name's Kenjirou."

"Is this ever going to end?" Kawanishi asked.

"But he gets cute when he's flustered."

Tendou headed into the kitchen and took down his apron from the wall hook and tied it back on himself. He returned and nudged Semi. "Get out of the chair."

"I will if you take the apron off."

"That's something only Kenjirou's allowed to say."

" _That's not what I meant._ " Semi stood out of his chair from the vehemence of his voice. He sat back down in a few seconds.

"He's right, though. You're trying too hard. _Clearly_." Kawanishi's eyes flicked to Tendou. "Are you trying to show off?"

Tendou tipped his nose in the air. "No."

"He _knows_ you're a baker. You don't need to wear the apron. You're the only one wearing it."

"You don't have to," Tendou said.

"You're making it look like we don't do anything."

"That's unintentional."

Tendou perked up at the sound of the opening door, and Semi forced himself to stand. A few customers came in, and over an hour, the shop filled with customers drifting in for a leisurely morning treat or a rushed breakfast.

Shirabu rarely came in a hurry. He wandered in without knowing what he wanted, stalling at the back of the shop and grumbling wordlessly. He ignored Tendou's eyes with so much intent that it looked forced.

"You don't look hungry," Tendou said when Shirabu approached.

"I'll take a doughnut."

"Don't you want cake? I'll give you a secret: the cake is a better demonstration of my talent."

"Are you calling the doughnut boring?"

"No. And the cake is even less boring."

Shirabu's mouth twitched, slightly upward. "It looks _decorated_."

"It's delicious."

"It's a waste of time making it so--decorated," Shirabu said, pointedly working himself around the word _beautiful._

"It's transient beauty, and I'm an artist."

"Dear god," Semi said under his breath. He pulled up a tray and gave a man a smile as he handed him a slice of pie.

A woman pointed at the cake between Tendou and Shirabu. "That's so pretty! Do you think you can make another one this weekend? It's my anniversary, and my husband loves vanilla cake."

Shirabu nearly choked.

"No problem," Tendou said cheerfully. "Semi handles the requests. Leave him your contact info." He returned to Shirabu. "Have you considered the cake?"

"Maybe. _For valentine's day._ "

"Oh?" Tendou's eyes fixed on him. "Do you have someone in mind for that?"

"No."

"That's too bad." Tendou crouched to open the display case and move desserts around, filling in spaces that bought goods left behind.

Shirabu remained silent for a minute, struggling to come up with a response. Tendou closed the case and stood back up, clapping his hands to shake off the flour.

"I'm taking a doughnut and a small cup of coffee," Shirabu said. "My usual coffee."

Tendou procured a napkin covered doughnut for him. "Your coffee is going to take a few minutes."

"I'll wait."

Shirabu paid ahead and stood to the side, nibbling on his doughnut and waiting for Tendou. He watched Tendou turn to the back counter and set the coffee machine. The apron tied in the back, and Shirabu could see the dip of his back through the upper half of the fabric, the slope of muscle in his arms up to his shoulders, the short sleeves cutting off high on his arm.

Tendou turned to the front counter. "Kenjirou-kun, your coffee's ready."

Shirabu accepted it from him. He almost stepped away, but he paused midstep, the momentum making him sway. "You drew on it."

"Since you're such a loyal customer. Loyalty has its perks, and you have my thanks."

"You can do coffee art?" Shirabu rotated the cup to stare at the ornamented foam and cream. A fluffy bird sat in the middle, curves and swirls drawn around it to form its soft-looking body. A few small hearts floated by it.

"It's not on the menu. I choose to make it when I want." Tendou stretched his arms behind his head. "Do you want whip cream?"

"I think that'd be too much sugar. I'll just take this, thanks."

"Have a nice day, Kenjirou!" Tendou waved as Shirabu walked out.

"Why does he keep coming back?" Semi asked Kawanishi.

"If he's as much a moron as Tendou, then they're made for each other. Especially since neither of them do anything about it."

Tendou leaned in. "Maybe he's shy?"

"You know, I don't get that impression," Semi said.

"Why can't you get it over with?" Kawanishi asked. "Everyone's a victim here."

"But it's fun having a favorite customer."

"No one else is having fun." Kawanishi grumbled. "Get his number and end it."

"I'm sort of afraid. What if that makes things worse?" Semi asked Kawanishi in a whisper.

"You mean if I date him, I can do this even more?"

" _You're_ making this worse, Semi," Kawanishi muttered.

 

* * *

 

Tendou stalked into the kitchen. "Eita-kun. I've been looking for my apron all day. Where is it?"

"I washed it." Semi gestured to the closet. "It's in there."

Tendou pulled it out. It hung on a hanger, crisp and clean. "There's no flour on it."

Semi glanced up. "Is that a complaint?"

Tendou smacked the fabric. "This looks like I haven't baked anything all day. It's like how a knight in shining armor is a terrible knight. He hasn't fought in any battles."

"Nothing about this is similar to that." Semi rubbed his hand against the side of his face.

Tendou tied his apron on. He glanced around and reached for the container of flour. "Quick, Eita. Throw some flour at me. I want to look messy."

Semi's hands paused. He looked up at Tendou with a calm face, his mouth too tight, and he dug up a small cup of flour and threw it at Tendou's face.

Tendou's eyes flashed closed. He squeezed them shut until he wiped flour off his face. "What was that for?"

"You asked me to do it."

"On my _clothes_. I pointed at my clothes." Tendou walked up to a pan hanging in the middle of the kitchen's island of supplies, inspecting his reflection in the pan. "I look dead."

"I don't think anyone is going to mistake you for a dead person."

Tendou reached for a towel and smothered his face with it to rub the flour off. He looked back at the pan's reflection. After a moment, he reached to towel his hair, but he couldn't remove much.

"There's flour in my hair, and it won't come out."

Semi snorted into his hand.

"Hn. Funny." Tendou pressed his hand to his chin. "Maybe I should take a shower."

"There's not enough time to go home and take a shower. Lunchtime is coming."

Tendou pressed his hand in so hard that he cracked a few knuckles. His eyes closed. "You're right..." He set the towel down. "I hope he doesn't come today."

"I hope he does."

"I've always thought it'd be fun to be enemies, but never in love, Eita."

" _He's yours,_ " Semi snapped. "I'm not competing at all."

"Of course I'm teasing. You think it's icky."

"I think it's gross."

"Icky," Tendou said on his way out.

He took his place beside Kawanishi and leaned to the counter to welcome customers. Kawanishi turned to him.

"What happened to your head?"

"Eita threw flour at me."

Kawanishi tipped his head back slightly, his eyes almost to the ceiling. "Why."

"I asked him to. But he did it wrong."

"Why did you _ask._ "

Tendou waved his hand over himself. "Look at this. It's too clean."

"No one thinks that."

"I do."

"No one thinks that," Kawanishi repeated.

Tendou shrugged. "I'm going to stand next to you all day. Accept it in any way you can, Taichi."

Kawanishi stepped away and rang up another customer.

Tendou busied himself with a few shoppers, greeting them and entertaining their comments on his hair. At Shirabu's appearance, he hesitated.

Shirabu walked up to him. "Isn't the flour supposed to be in the pans?" he asked, his eyes flicking to his hair.

"Every person has made a joke about it. You're not giving me anything new." Tendou flourished his hand over the displays and rested his hands on the counter, letting them slide apart enough to descend to Shirabu's sight, their eyes meeting. "What's your pick of the day?"

Shirabu glanced at the stand where Tendou usually kept the Shirabu-designated desserts. "Did you really decorate the taiyaki."

Tendou smiled. "You can tell it's taiyaki?"

"You made them into heart shaped _fish._ "

"You like fish, right?"

Shirabu scratched at his throat. "I'll take one."

Tendou's mouth relaxed into a lazier, softer smile. "They were hard to make."

"I don't want to hear you brag." Shirabu frowned at it in his hand after Tendou handed it to him. "It's covered in red frosting."

"Strawberry flavored."

"This is barely taiyaki."

"What're you going to do about it?" Tendou asked, leaning to rest into his hand.

"I don't think anyone can stop you from constantly taking artistic liberties. You can't even decide if you run a bakery or a cake shop." Shirabu took a bite of his dubious taiyaki.

Tendou looked at him. "What do you think?"

"It's tasty," Shirabu said with slowness.

"Good. I'm glad."

Shirabu wiped his mouth with his napkin. "I've had enough for now. I'm going home. I should save some for later."

"Bye, Kenjirou!" Tendou called as he walked out the door.

"If you don't do anything, I'm going to set him up with someone and send him away completely," Kawanishi said.

"You know him well enough to do that?"

"I don't care." Kawanishi returned to the cash register and mumbled again, "I don't care."

 

* * *

 

Tendou placed a few pieces of sakuramochi on the display stand. He couldn't decide what to make for the first day of spring, and he ended up making peach cake along with it.

After a few hours, they were already down to one slice of the cake left. Tendou hovered by it and politely guarded it, telling customers it wasn't for sale. Semi pulled him aside.

"Just make it again tomorrow," Semi said. "You might want to make more of it, though."

"But I made it for Kenjirou."

"He might not even come today. He doesn't come every day."

"I don't want to take chances."

"Sell the cake," Semi said firmly.

"Fine." Tendou stalked back to the counter. The next customer to ask for it bought it successfully.

By lunchtime, the sakuramochi was gone, too, and Tendou's stand emptied of everything except crumbs of cake. Tendou sent it a squinted glare.

Shirabu rested an arm on the counter when he came in. "Did you eat it all?" Shirabu asked.

Tendou's mouth tugged into a sloppy grin. "You expect your own dessert now?"

"I'm pretty sure you do it every day."

Tendou tapped his fingers on the glass. "True." He let his hand fall away, dropping it to his side. "Well, today the sakuramochi and peach cake were so popular that everyone ate it. You came too late."

"It's the first day of _spring_. Of course you're going to run out of that. You should've made it yesterday."

"There's nothing special about yesterday." Tendou sighed. "I'll save it for when sakura blossoms bloom."

"You're really into this. It sounds like you're competing with someone."

"I'm not competing with anyone." Tendou flicked his hand on the counter. "Sometimes I want Taichi to try harder, but he'll never amount to a rival at this rate."

"You both work at the same shop."

"That doesn't mean anything, Kenjirou." Tendou shifted. "So. What'll you buy today?"

"I'll just have some melon bread. My roommate likes it."

"Would you've bought the peach cake if there was any left?" Tendou asked.

"Probably."

"Either yes or no."

"Yes," Shirabu said.

Tendou hummed and trotted to the cash register to deposit his payment. "Mm. Have I told you that you're my favorite customer, Kenjirou-kun?"

Shirabu averted his eyes. "Implicitly, I think."

Tendou swirled his finger on the counter. "It really is too bad that I ran out of both sakuramochi and peach cake. You look like them right now."

Shirabu raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"The pink would complement your face."

Shirabu rubbed his hands into his face. "I'm not. I'm not blushing, Tendou." Shirabu pinched his mouth together in a sour shape.

Tendou gave Shirabu his change. "You're my favorite customer, but am I your favorite baker?"

"I don't really go to other dessert shops or bakeries, so you win by default." Shirabu continued to look away.

"No one else can even compete," Tendou remarked.

"I thought you said you weren't competing with anyone."

"See, I'm not."

Shirabu shook his head. "I'm not going to ask further."

"I hope your roommate enjoys the bread, Kenjirou." Tendou nodded at him and moved to help another customer as Shirabu ducked out.

 

* * *

 

"Why aren't these sitting on the top like your things usually do?" Shirabu pointed at an array of small cakes with an entire outfit of cream and frosting, shaped into a bird with wings.

"I didn't make those."

"You didn't?"

Tendou tightened his mouth from a twitching smile. "Taichi finally went all out and made a bunch of things today..."

"Oh." Shirabu glanced back up. "What did you make?"

"Macarons." Tendou motioned over them. "In all sorts of colors and flavors. Which color do you like?"

"I'll take chocolate. Only one." Shirabu crossed his arms. "There's nothing special about these macarons. You usually make something special about each thing every day."

"That's an insult, Kenjirou. They're _specially_ made for you."

Shirabu shifted. "Why do you keep making them _specially_ for me?" he asked.

Tendou stood taller. "Do I have to try harder? I thought I was doing a good job."

"A good job at _what_."

"Why do you get so flustered, Kenjirou? It's because I'm doing it on purpose. I'm trying to make you flustered."

"You're a terrible person." Shirabu bit into his macaron to silence himself, and his eyes lit up. "It's really soft..."

"I'm very good at delicacy."

"Don't push it," Shirabu said. He took another nibble. His eyes narrowed as he took notice of Tendou watching him. "I'm trying to eat."

"I didn't know you were so self-conscious. Delicate, like a macaron."

"I'm leaving." Shirabu stepped away.

He took a seat at a table and continued eating, very, very slowly. He sat back and pulled out his phone.

Tendou joined him the minute his break started. He slid a chair closer and sat down. "I'm impressed that you still haven't finished your macaron."

"I'm taking my time enjoying it," Shirabu said without looking.

"I thought you were leaving?"

"I left the payment area." Shirabu gestured at the counter.

"As long as you're enjoying your food, I can't complain."

Shirabu continued to look through his phone.

"Do you like pancakes? Sometimes I think about trying to make pancake art, but I can never think of what shapes to make. Stars are really plain in basic shapes."

"An owl. People like owls."

"Do you?"

"Not really."

"Then that's not very accurate."

"Rabbits, then."

"That's a good suggestion..."

Shirabu swallowed his last bite. Tendou watched the movement, from the macaron slipping into his mouth to the touch of his finger on his lip to finish it.

"I'm pretty curious. What've you been doing on your phone this whole time?"

"Checking things like email."

"That sounds important. Your phone's still missing something, though." Tendou's hand made a show of slinking towards Shirabu's phone, and he looked at Shirabu, waiting for Shirabu to stop him.

He successfully picked it up and scrolled to his contacts to add himself. He slid it back to Shirabu.

"I thought I already had the bakery number," Shirabu said.

"You think I added a number? I just took a picture of the table. It's a really nice table. Eita outdid himself when he decorated this place."

Shirabu swiped his fingers on his screen. "There's a new contact I didn't have a few minutes ago."

"I think your phone's malfunctioning."

Shirabu pressed his phone to his ear, and a dial tone sounded from it. Tendou's phone vibrated.

Tendou fished it out. "Weird. I wasn't expecting a call, but whoever's calling has perfect timing. I'm on my break."

Before he could answer, Shirabu hung up.

"Now I'll never know who it was."

"Tendou."

Tendou fought down a smile. "Yes, Kenjirou?"

Shirabu let out a breath and got up. "Nothing. I'm just making my way out. I've spent more time than usual today. See you tomorrow, Tendou."

"See you, Kenjirou." Tendou watched him leave from his seat.

He remained in his chair for a few minutes, comfortable and lazy. He dragged himself up when Semi flashed him a pointed look.

"This is only the beginning, Eita," Tendou said happily.

Kawanishi's head turned slightly away, his eyes almost closing. "You didn't even ask him out. You didn't even initiate that at all. Shirabu's the one who asked."

"He finally got the courage to do it."

"That sounds backwards." Kawanishi pulled away from a display stand after rearranging it. "You sound like a coward in the end. Which is amazing and remarkable, since this whole time, you were completely shameless."

"I wasn't a coward," Tendou halfheartedly said, too cheerful to give the offended tone any energy.

**Author's Note:**

> (General A/N that exists at the end of all my fics): I find unsolicited concrit really rude, I'm not looking for any. Please don't tell me someone was OOC/something happened you didn't like/it's too short/etc. in any bookmarks or comments.


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